Tom's Take on Sports

I just heard an "opening rant" from ESPN's Colin Cowherd taking Indiana Pacer fans to task for complaining about getting no respect. Cowherd went on to berate Pacer fans for not supporting their team in numbers during the season. I must say at times, he has a point. The rant against the Pacer fans came as part of an overall criticism of Midwest sports fans feeling they aren't as respected as fans on either coast, or down south.
First, Cowherd is right about Pacer fans' support during the regular season. However, there is a reason to the relative lack of support for the Pacers--unless they make a deep playoff run. The reason? Indiana is a great basketball state-- a great AMATEUR basketball state. You ask a true basketball fan, and he will usually have 3 layers of support-- his high school team, his college team, and then after all that is done, the Pacers-- maybe.
Over the years, the Pacers have got the short end of Indiana's basketball shaft. The Blue and Gold-- especially in recent years-- have on the balance, been more good than bad. The Pacers made an NBA Finals in 2000, after years of just missing out in the Eastern Conference Finals. That could have a familiar ring to it-- given the Miami Heat's pre-eminent position. But that Pacer team had Reggie Miller; this team is not made up of great names. However, given the state's rich, deep, and continuing amateur basketball tradition, would it matter if a great name came to Indianapolis? Or would we jdo as we do now-- get on the Pacer bandwagon if they are deemed worthy in our eyes come NBA playoff time?
Pacer fans can have a bit of a bandwagon mentality. That said, regardless of what happens with the Heat Saturday night back in Indianapolis, this has been a great year-- and the start of more to come for the Indiana Pacers. May we squeeze in enough time between high school and college ball to actually see it happen next year.

Anyone who knows me knows I am probably one of the biggest soccer fans in Vincennes. I said one of-- not "the" soccer fan...because until otherwise stated, Roy Inglis at V-U holds that crown. But I do love the game. I enjoy watching it at its highest levels. One of my sons plays the game. It has been a part of my life ever since my seventh-grade year.
I say all that to say this. Major League soccer is coming to Indianapolis. Not the American league game, but major league soccer as in two of the best clubs in the world-- England's Chelsee and Italy's Inter Milan. The tournament is part of an internatinoal pre-season tour for the European giants, since their season runs from mid-August to late May. The game in Indianapolis is on Thursday, August first-- and is part of the opening round of an international competitino. You may or may not know the names on the field, but if you want soccer at an extremely high level, go see this game.

The second soccer-related issue is the U-S Men's National Team. They lost in a friendly to Belgium 4-2 last night. That game further crystallized an issue that rings true-- the U-S soccer team is not that good right now. The arc that started in 1990, and peaked with a 2002 World Cup quarterfi8nal loss to Germany, continues its decline. It is inevitable that it will happen, but now is the time to take action. Despite its weakness, the Americans are expected to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. This coming three-game set will determine its World Cup fate. They play Jamaica and Panama, along with a match with Costa Rica. These matches are crucial-- but unfortunately, that performance against Belgium will not send them very far. They have time to adjust-- I just hope Juergen Klinsmann can make it happen.

The Indiana Pacers have tied the Miami Heat 2-2 in their Eastern Conference Final. The Pacers may still lose this series, with 2 of the last 3 to come at Miami-- but the Pacers have won a whole lot more.

1. The Pacers have won... respect. Coming into this series, people weren't sure what to make of the Pacers-- this group of no-names who play without their top star, Danny Granger, who is out of the lineup due to injury. The no-names have made names of themselves-- Stephenson, Hill, Hibbert, and especially Paul George. The Heat have first-name stars-- LeBron, Dwayne, Chris, and more

2. The Pacers have won... resiliency. The Indiana Pacers are the world champs of bouncing back. They lose Game 1 in dramatic fashion, but win game 2. The Pacers lose Game 3 at home, but win Game 4. That is the mark of a good team

3. The Pacers have won...old school. Not many SportsCenter highlights here, but Colin Cowherd on ESPN's "The Herd" said it best. Rebounding and defense can get you a long way in the NBA playoffs.

3. The Pacers have won... the hearts and minds of Indiana fans-- at least for now.. We are a fickle bunch, and in this state, most of the time your high school and college afiliation means more to you than the Pacers-- usually. But the bandwagon is pulling into the station for teh Pacers, and there is ample time to get on board.

4. Finally, the Pacers have won the anticipation battle for next year. They did this playoff run without Danny Granger. With Granger, the Pacers-- along with a healthy Chicago Bulls team, and the Miami Heat, and the New York Knicks-- have restored the roar to the top of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

All in all, the Pacers may win this series-- and they may lose it. Even if they lose to the Heat this year, they have already won-- big time.

The formal Indy 500 banquet has been held. The event was not televised ( a travesty, in my opinion-- I thought it had some merit as a local TV event). Tony Kanaan received his well-deserved 2-point-four million dollar check for winning the thing.
Now that's all well and good... but it's time for the the most important (in my mind) awards to come out... the first TTOS Indy 500 Awards. Here goes...

-- The "I Never Thought I Would Get the Milk Shower" award: Kanaan. He was in a distinct and formidable field of stars to never win the 500-- a field headed by recent driver Michael Andretti and legendary driver Rex Mays. He left that neighborhood with his win-- a very popular one among both fans AND fellow drivers. And his Victory Lane milk celebration was the best part of the post race ceremonies...

-- The "Newest Snakebit Andretti" Award: Marco Andretti. He could have won in his rookie year, but lost on the final lap to Sam Hornish, Junior. After that, he did what Andrettis do at the Speedway-- qualify great, look great in the race for 400 miles, and either drop out or fade in the final 100 miles. Still only one Andretti win at the Speedway-- Mario's in 1969-- despite Andrettis being part of almost EVERY race since then. The Andrettis love the Speedway so much they hate it-- and the fans still love the Andrettis, as they should.

-- The "What have YOU done with YOUR Second Chance?" Award: AJ Allmendinger. The guy has been around so long, you forget he was a rookie at the Speedway. Allmendinger was a open wheel driver who went to race for Richard Petty in NASCAR. After some success, he was picked up by Roger Penske in NASCAR. Drug problems did him in, as he was fired by Penske's NASCAR team-- but he came clean, got clean, and guess who picked him back up for the Indy 500? You guessed it, Roger Penske. Allmendinger repaid Penske's faith with a seventh place finish that could have been even better, had a loose seat belt not got him out of pit sync. I have to admit, I was rooting for the guy-- like almost all Americans, I love a redemption story-- and Allmendinger's is as good as any.

-- The "Was this the Indy 500 or the Brickyard 400 ?" award to this year's race. 68 lead changes-- double last year's record. 18 of the 33 drivers led at one point or another. And a first victory for popular Brazilian Tony Kanaan. By the way, he is an adopted Hoosier, so there is another Indiana tie....

-- The "Indiana Hometown Hero" award: Ed Carpenter, Junior. Kanaan moved here-- and owns the state's esteem and love this morning-- but you still have a soft spot for those born and raised here. Carpenter grew up near Indianapolis, got into the open wheels, and took the pole. He led some in the race before falling back.

-- The "Danica Patrick Legacy" award: To the 4 women who qualified for the race. It will not be long before a woman wins this thing-- but the best shot will be if Patrick gives up NASCAR to give it another chance.

And Finally....

-- The "Will Anyone Else ever do the Double?" award. The Indy 500 and NASCAR Coke 600-- "The Double"-- on the same day. Four or five drivers have tried it-- only one finished top 10 in both-- Tony Stewart. The year he tried it? 7th at the Indy 500, and 4th at the Coke 600-- and is stil the only man to complete the entire 1,100 miles in one day. Now that the Coke 600 start time has been moved back, can anyone do the "Double"? Some names here-- headed by Danica Patrick. She can do it, I believe. The other names for "doublers" include Sam Hornish Junior, Tony Stewart, AJ Allmendinger (there's that name again!)-- and Kurt Busch. Busch tested at Indianapolis this month-- raising questions about a possible future double. It is possible....

Oklahoma has tornadoes. Occasionally, they have devastating ones. it is just a fact of life-- if you live in Oklahoma, you could be subject to seeing, or being affected by, a twister now and then. But I say this-- there are tornadoes, and then there is what happened in Moore, Oklahoma.
Moore is a southern suburb of Oklahoma City. Yesterday afternoon, a devastating F-5 scale tornado leveled a large part of Moore. At this time, 51 are dead-- including several children at a Moore elemenary school-- and hundreds are injured. Thousands have lost their homes and everything they have.
However, this isn't the first time Moore has been in the Tornado Alley crosshairs. 14 years ago-- in May of 1999-- the most violent tornado ever hit... you guessed it... Moore, Oklahoma. Wind speed of that twister was 318 miles per hour-- and this one may have been its equal.
I say all that to say this-- several Oklahoma City sports stars are teaming up to help. The Oklahoma City Thunder players are doing their part. Oklahoma City alumni-- including Wes Welker and Matt Kemp-- have pitched in. Another famous name-- Country music star Toby Keith-- grew up in Moore; he was also a semi-pro football player before making it big as an entertainer. All these stars-- and more-- are remembering Moore in their thoughts and prayers. As are we. My heart goes out to the families-- and especially families with children-- devastated in the Moore tornado. Many around OKC remember a similar incident with children-- not the 1999 twister, but the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. Many children were innocent victims in that tragedy as well.
Oklahoma knows tornadies. Moore knows them too well. Things will get back to normal in Moore-- eventualy-- but they will never be the same.

I am sure by now you have seen the ESPN/ABC spot about the Indy 500, and all the things that make it great. That commercial says it all... it was, has been, and continues to be, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. While you may argue that the Indy 500 is Gulliver and the other IndyCar series races are the LIlliputians-- and rightly so, I might add-- the last Sunday in May is STILL the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. I know-- I have covered it, at least in part.
I was there to cover qualifications 20 years ago, in 1993--before "The Split." In that day, a whole row of local broadcasters, along with national and international correspondents, were in the timing tower along the front stretch. The end seats were reserved for the IMS Network/WIBC Indianapolis, the race's flagship networks. I have the privilege to watch legends like Bob Jenkins, Jerry Baker, and Bob Lamey do their thing over four days of qualifications. I saw A.J. Foyt's final tearful retirement as a driver on Pole Day 1993-- when his car was among the fastest in practice. I saw the legends when they were legends--both Als, Junior and Senior... Mario Andretti, and his son Michael... and those struggling to get into the race. It was one of the greatest sets of days in my life-- and among the most exhausting.
That was a few years before IndyCar racing tried to commit suicide-- and wounded itself beyond repair-- when the IRL excluded CART from its race, and killed the series. But try as they may, they could not kill the Indy 500. You could put 33 no-names in those cars, and there would still be an audience-- and believe me, they tried that in the late 1990's. Why? Because in a field of Lilliputians, the Indianapolis 500 is still Gulliver. It is, was, and forever will be, the Greatest Spectacie in Racing. It no longer has the greatest drivers in American racing-- NASCAR has that-- but it it still has the richest history, the best roots, and the greatest traditions of any other auto race. Long live the Indy 500.

The national media has re-discovered the Indiana Pacers. After thriving in the NBA backwater all year, the Pacers are finally getting some national publicity. I have been listening to ESPN Radio all morning, and even with the Pacers' good play, it has been as much about what the Knicks have done wrong as what the Pacers have done right.
Now granted, Indiana is far from the NBA's sexiest team. Name a starter on the Indiana roster well-known outside the Indianapolis metro area. There is no LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul-- or Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks-- on the Pacer roster. The best-known Pacer is STILL Reggie Miller-- who, ironically enough, is doing the Indiana-New York series on TNT. Another twist to the tale... wouldn't it be a fitting thing if Indiana closed this series out in five in the same building where Reggie Miller became REGGIE MILLER-- the Apple's Madison Square Garden.
No, this team is not the glamorous group that Miller headed. It is a group of talented players-- very talented, and getting better-- but hardly stars. And that is just the way Coach Frank Vogel, and the Indiana Pacers, want it. The Pacers aren't going to make many SportsCenter headlines...they just keep winning. And despite a lack of star power, winning will get you noticed...eventually.

Butler University got to two national championship games-- in 2010 and 2011...and came within three inches of winning it in 2010. But what if that half-court heave by Gordon Hayward had connected in 2010-- instead of floating just off the mark? You would have an accomplishment that mirrors what Wigan Athletic did over the weekend in the FA Cup final. The FA Cup is England's answer to the pre-1998 IHSAA tournament... everyone is welcome to compete as equals. The largest club in the land may be beaten by one of the smallest.-- and it has happened, on more than one occasion.
Which brings me to Wigan. The Latics-- as they are known-- are in the top flight of English soccer-- the Premier League-- barely. They played Manchester City over the weekend-- among England's richest, best-funded, and well-known sides. Wigan? Uhh...not as much. But the Wigan warriors scraped through several rounds, and found itself with a chance at the sacred ground of English soccer-- Wembley Stadium. One game... 90 minutes-- and a chance to write English soccer history. With a 90th minute header, they did just that. Wigan 1, Man City 0. The Latics may be relegated from the Premiership for next season-- moving down to the Championship, the second tier of English soccer. However, if they do go down, they will go down swinging-- as the reigning FA Cup champions.
So in a sense, Gordon Hayward's shot did connect-- only with a cleah header as the English say... "at the death." But the only thing to die that day was Manchester City's dreams-- and conventional wisdom about smaller clubs defeating larger ones. Wigan Athletic-- the Butler of Britain. The only difference Hayward's shot missed by inches, while Wigan's was right on target. Here's to the Latics-- in a scene that came right out of "Hoosiers."

Tiger Woods is back. That is the party line among every one seeing him, after he won yesterday's Player's Championship near Jacksonville. Tiger basically did what Tiger does-- took the lead at Sawgrass, put out his withering stare-- and melted his competition.
The man who withered most? Sergio Garcia. The island 17th green became the star again on Sunday, as it swallowed two of Garcia's tee shots. The result? A quadruple bogey 7, and out of contention. Tiger did what Tiger does-- consistent play, and yet another title-- his fourth in seven rounds this year.
But, the 800-pound elephant in the room has shown back up-- still no recent major victories for Tiger. He is 37 now-- which still isn't old in golf circles; the man he is chasing in majors-- Jack NIcklaus-- won four of them from age 37 on, including one of each-- the British at 38 in 1978, the U-S Open and PGA at 40 in 1980, and of course, famously, the Masters at 46 years of age in 1986. He even had a fifth major after 37 taken from him-- remember Tom Watson's chip-in to steal the 1982 U-S Open from Nicklaus? Sports Illustrated, and the Bear himself, called it a "1,000 to 1 shot."
The bottom line is, Tiger still has plenty of time to equal, or beat, Nicklaus' 18 majors. As it is, Tiger is probably a cinch to break Sam Snead's record of PGA Tour wins; Tiger has 78; Snead is on top with 82. The question is, can Tiger hit 100 Tour wins? Don't count him out-- and don't count out a revived run on 18 majors. Coming from a lifelong Nicklaus fan, I think it would be appropriate if they both tied at 18 majors. Simply put, Tiger means as much to this generation of golfers as Nicklaus meant to his. Both men changed the game-- for the better. They deserve equal billing.

A soccer legend has decided to leave the game. Sir Alex Ferguson has decided the time is right... after 27 years as the undisputed, and not too far from undefeated, boss at Manchester United, Sir Alex is leaving the soccer sideline. He will continue with Man U as an ambassador and board member, but his managerial career has ended.
It is impossible to consider one man in American sports that matches up to Sir Alex. In longevity and franchise stature, he is like the Dallas Cowboys' legendary coach Tom Landry. He failed in his early years as a coach, before finding it and making it big-- a lot like the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick. He was the founder and nurturer of a dynasty-- much like the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach or the Bulls' and Lakers' Phil Jackson. And like Jackson, he retired with his team on top.
He shepherded four generations of Man United players to greatness. He has had players from around the globe contribute to success. He also directly-- and indirectly-- had a role in the success of American goalkeeper Tim Howard. Howard was Sir Alex's number 1 in 2005 and 2006, before finding trouble in the net and was replaced by Edwin Van der Sar. But the good manager didn't give up on Howard-- he saw the talent in the American player, and loaned him to Everton. That was some loan-- seven years and counting, Howard is still Everton's Number 1 goalkeper.
The legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson will be batted around, and considered, and analyzed to death in the days to come. Suffice it to say-- his record, his trophies, and his success speak for themselves. Here's to Sir Alex, and what I hope is a successful retirement.

1. Nothing in the world beats overtime in the Stanley Cut Playoffs. If a game is tied after regulation in hockey's playoff, they keep playing it until they get a winner. Not only do they play it off, but they play 20-minute regulation periods. There have been times where they have played over two regulation games-- the regular three periods, and three overtimes... to determine a winner. A game that starts at 7:30 pm has ended in the wee hours before in the Stanley Cup playoffs. You have to love it-- one mistake... one fatigue play...or one brilliant move from nowhere... can end a game in its tracks. One of my favorite times in sports...Stanley Cup overtime...

2. Racing for a Reason in the rain. My hat is off to those driving-- and working-- in Sunday's Vincennes Grand Prix. It was cold, it was wet, and as always, it was fun. I look forward to next year's event...

3. The Pacers beat the Knicks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semi-final at Madison Square Garden, 102-95. You have to wonder if some of the Knick fans were thinking back to Reggie Miller's performance a few years back...even though this Pacer team is more defense-minded, and not centered on one man being the superstar. That said... 25 in the 4th quarter for Reggie Miller... that is still astounding!!

4. Tim Tebow is STILL the most influential athlete in American culture, in an article by Forbes business magazine. Amazing for a backup QB who many think should not be one at all. Next move for Tebow? Probably into the broadcast booth. He would be a natural for CBS's SEC coverage-- and there is that little SEC Network starting up...

5. Just a note about a soccer team you have never heard of, possibly about the enter the second tier of English soccer. Yeovil Town-- from the tiny state of Somerset, England-- is one win away from a move to the Championship level of English soccer. The Glovers were in the fifth tier of the English league seven years ago. Their average attendance to games? Around 3,500 people. For an American example... think about a school like IUPUI winning its conference 3 years in a row, and joining the Big Ten. That is pretty close to the level which Yeovil is close to joining.

I have to admit-- I love horse racing. I have enjoyed watching these races since almost before I can remember. This love of racing came from my earliest days... I was 6 when Secretariat, in the words of the great Chic Anderson "moved like a tremendous machine" at Belmont. I was 11 in 1978 when Affirmed and Alydar had the greatest two-horse duel ever, again at Belmont. Again, Chic Anderson made the call that day, as Affirmed "got a nose out in front... at the wire!"-- and won the Triple Crown by a nose. In 1978, Affirmed won by 1 1/2 lengths, a neck, and a nose over Alydar... still the greatest 2 horse Triple Crown challenge ever.
I was no longer young when Ferdinand took the Derby in 1986. I was a college freshman, when the aged, vernable Bill Shoemaker channeled his inner Jack Nicklaus-- who made a similar run for the ages earlier that year at the Masters--and turned back the clock.
In more recent times, Smarty Jones-- a low pedigree horse-- shocked the world by winning the Derby and Preakness. And I remember the disappointment when Big Brown took the first 2 legs, and completely pooped out at the Belmont-- which was supposed to be his strongest race. And who can forget John Henry? Possibly the greatest horse of all time-- winning race after race when other horses his age were already grandfathers. He was another horse of undistinguished pedigree who became a super-horse.
These horses-- and more-- have made a great impact on me. The other impact-- the men calling the races. My favorites are in this order...

1. Dave Johnson. Still the best TV horse racing announcer ever in my opinion. His pace, style, and verbage were a perfect fit for TV...and I miss him not being there. He called the Affirmed-Alydar Kentucky Derby match in 1978-- his first time on the main TV stage. He was also the voice of the Triple Crown for ABC for many years through the 1980's and into the 1990's.

2. Chic Anderson. Called both the 1973 Triple Crown, and 1978 Belmont for CBS. In my view, he is slightly behind Johnson, but not by much... Was more laid-back than the excitable Johnson, but in his own way, did a great job of conveying the emotion of the moment. His call of the Affirmed-Alydar virtual match race at Belmont was perfect. He died way too early-- of a heart attack in 1979.

3. Tom Durkin. Long-time legendary track announcer, and until this year, the lead announcer for NBC's covereage of the Triple Crown and Breeder's Cup. Not quite on the level of Johnson and Anderson in my opinion, but not that far away either.

These are the horses-- and voices-- that take me back through my history. The only thing missing? Another Triple Crown winner. There hasn't been one since Affirmed in 1978. I thought Big Brown would be next-- but that didn't happen. Will there be another? It's tougher now than it used to be... but it is still the goal. It has now been 35 years... and I hope another super-horse can get it done. Good luck Orb-- you are the next contestant.

One of the stranger loves in my life is hockey. I have never lived near an ice rink-- I did more roller skating as a kid than ice skating. The nearest one to my home growing up with the Goggin ice rink, 30 minutes away in Oxford, Ohio-- but the first time I went there was for a youth activity as a high school junior.

However, I picked up a love of hockey from an early age. . I remember Peter Puck from the old NBC broadcasts of hockey from the 70's. I enjoyed watching the Edmonton Oiler dynasties of the '80's on ESPN. And I became-- and remain-- a St. Louis Blues fan from listening to Dan Kelly doing the radio games from 1984 on. I have also been a huge fan of the New Year's Day Winter Classic-- where an outdoor stadium hosts a hockey game once a year. It is a must-view... if for any other reason than to see these huge, venerable stadiums filled with fans for outdoor hockey. Now, it is different. Starting next year, the NHL will host a series of outdoor games, including a game at Soldier Field in Chicago on March first. Other places will also host games-- including Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and Vancouver's BC Place. I have two minds on this issue. One is it may take some luster from the Winter Classic on New Year's Day. The other is... get me tickets... March first, 2014 at 8 pm at Soldier Field in Chicago. I want to go!! Yes, it will take some allure away from hockey's biggest regular season day-- the Winter Classic on New Year's-- but in the end, it will bring new fans to the NHL... which is never a bad thing.

It's May Day-- and it is also mayday for Tim Tebow. For the first time in his life, he is without football. HIgh school legend from his hometown of Jacksonville; Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Florida... and winning quarterback at Denver. Unfortunately, it looks like Tim Tebow's year was 2011-- when Tebow Time became winning time in Denver.
How many of us make wrong decisions-- especially in our early 20's? Against just about every expert opinion, Tebow made what turned out to be a fatal career move-- heading the the New York Jets, instead of waiting for a more fitting offer-- perhaps from his home team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. If you can make it there,. you can make it anywhere-- but if you can't, you never hear the end of it. Unfortunately, the latter happened to Tim Tebow.
So, what's next? An indoor league team-- the Omaha Beef-- have offered him a job (read: publicity for a team no one... probably even in Omaha... has heard of). The CFL is still a possibility; the Montreal Alouettes own his rights, and has offered a possiblity fo compete for a backup spot on the roster.
A recent poll showed 68 percent of respondents want Tebow to move positions, to stay in the NFL Will he do that? We shall see... The options are rather limited-- but remember this... Tim Tebow has spent his whole life beating the odds. Tebow Time may be no more-- maybe-- but Tebow's time as a football player may not be.